Bobbin holder for braiding machines



1959 M. OSTERMANN ET AL 2,

BOBBIN HOLDER FOR BRAIDING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 14, 1958 m .k M F v 4 a: a .5 a9 Mm M m a m z ma? W NOV. 10, 1959 QSTERMANN ETAL 2,911,875

BOBBIN HQLDER FOR BRAIDING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 14, 1958 United States PateritC) 2,911,875 BOBBIN HOLDER FOR BRAIDING MACHINES Max Ostermann, Wuppertal-Barmen, and Wilhelm Klein, Wuppertal-Elberfeld, Germany, assignors to W. & M. Ostermann, Wuppertal-Barmen, Germany Application January 14, 1958, Serial No. 708,775

Claims priority, application Germany February 5, 1957 12 Claims. (Cl. 87-21) This invention relates to a bobbin holder, for use in conjunction with braiding machines, for forming a strand of a number of parallel metal or like wires or threads of textile, vegetable, animal, or synthetic fiber, by their withdrawal from a plurality of bobbins and combining them in the form of a strand prior to braidmg.

For forming multipled braiding strands from a plurality of parallel threads, the latter are withdrawn from a single bobbin upon which the threads are wound side by side. However, it is in practice impossible to withdraw several threads from a single bobbin in such a way that when combined into a strand the tension and length of all the stranded threads in the braiding will be equal and that thebraidiug will not include individual threads that are slack and give rise to irregularities in the interlaced pattern. This is a particularly serious disadvantage when interlacing strands of steel wire of high mechanical strength, for instance of the kind required in the manufacture of reinforced flexible high pressure tubular hose or the like, because it is important that each individual wire of the interlaced structure should actually support its rated share of the load to enable the tubular braiding to sustain the tensile strain to which it will be subjected in use. An equal distribution of the load between the individual wires will not be ensured if the tension of each individual wire of a strand is not equal to that of the others. The presence in the strand of slack wires throws the load on the others and thus gives rise to weaknesses which may cause the braiding to tear. It has therefore been necessary in the past. to submit a braided hose to very careful inspection and to cut out faulty sections which thus cause, unnecessary wastage.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to avoid this defect by separating the individual threads of a strand, that is winding them on separate bobbins, said bobbins being arranged in the holder in such a way that during the withdrawal of the threads each bobbin will be subject to a torque which resists the withdrawal therefrom of the thread, with a view of compensating inequalities in the length and fluctuations in the tension of the thread and of thus ensuring equal tension in all the threads in each individual strand. In other words, whenever a slackening occurs in the tension of a thread between the unwinding bobbin and a collecting point where the threads are combined, the torque acting on the respective bobbin will immediately tend to rotate the said bobbin in the rewinding direction and thus reestablish equality of tension between all the threads.

To achieve this effect in accordance with the present Patented Nov. 10, i95

'ice Owing to the presence of the friction disc between adjacent bobbins which transmits a certain frictional load, each bobbin will tend to entrain the adjacent bobbin in the rewinding direction by transmitting a torque which is adjusted to be somewhat less than the force with which the thread is withdrawn from the bobbin. Hence, any slackening in the tension of any one of the threads will be compensated at once, and the tension of all the threads maintained at a constant level. v

To guide the several threads to the collecting point in a satisfactory manner it is proposed to provide a thread guide common to all bobbins and so arranged and disposed that each thread will be deflected towards the collecting point without being obstructed. The thread guide may comprise a semicylindrical body 'with"pe ripheral helical grooves for the reception therein of the invention it is proposed to mount the several bobbins a way that adjacent bobbins will revolve in opposite 1 directions of rotation when the threads are unwound.

threads, the pitch of the helix being arranged to conform with the relative location of the collecting roller in the bobbin holder assembly. It is preferred that the common thread guide should be supported on two vertical brackets with angled ends adapted to be detachably fitted in appropriate horizontal bores in the base of the bobbin holder.

The advantage of this latter arrangement is that it permits the bobbin holder to be optionally fitted with a single conventional bobbin, instead of with a plurality of bobbins, and to this end the thread guide can be easily replaced by pulling the angled ends ofthe brackets out of the base of the holder.

The accompanying drawings illustrate an exemplary form of construction of the invention.

In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a bobbin holder according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same bobbin holder, and

Fig. 3 is an axial sectional View of a plurality of bobbins rotatable on a common spindle.

Rising approximately vertically from a baseplate 4 of a bobbin holder 5 are two bearing brackets 6 and 7 which support bobbins 9 to 13 rotatable on a common spindle 8 mounted in appropriate bearings. Disposed adjacent the outer faces of bobbins 9 and 13 are braking discs 16, 17 provided with brake linings 14, 15, the brake disc 16 being pivotally held on bracket 6 by means of an extension 18 and a pivot 19, whereas the brake disc 17 is likewise pivotally mounted through an extension 20 fulcrumed at 21 to a braking lever 23 pivotally supported on a pin 22 in bracket 7. The braking lever 23 is adapted to be deflected by the tensile load of a strand 25 composed of a plurality of threads 29 which run over a deflecting pin 24, according to the position of a thread tensioning lever 36 which can be tilted towards a collecting point 28. The bobbins are therefore arrestable by the deflection of braking lever 23 which by urging the brake disc 17 toward the bobbins compresses the stack of bobbins and friction disks 26 and prevents them from being turned by the available tensile pull of the strand 25. To increase the frictional braking eifect between the bobbins 9 to 13 friction elements in the form of discs 26 are interposed between the individual bobbins.

The several bobbins 9 to 13 are carried by a bushing 27 which is rotatable on the common spindle 8, the individual bobbins being slipped on the bushing 27 in such a way that bobbin 9 will revolve in the opposite direction to bobbin 10, and bobbin 10 in the opposite direction to bobbin 11, and so forth, when the threads 29 are withdrawn from the bobbins. In other words, when the brake lever 23 is released and the several threads,;29.are. withdrawn, adjacent bobbins will revolve in opposite directions of rotation. This ensures that all of the threads 29 which converge to collecting point 28 will always be taut, because if for instance the thread unwinding from bobbin relaxes, this bobbin will be entrained by the neighboring bobbin 9 and by the action of the interposed friction disc 26v in the direction for rewinding the thread, so that the tension ofthe latter will at once be restored. This arrangement therefore prevents a slack section of thread from being incorporated in the strand 25 and from thus causing the faults in the braiding that have been described.

The threads 29 that are unwound from the several bobbins are passed over a common thread guide 30 which has the form of a semicylindrical body, however, a cylindrical body may also be used. Cut into the semicircular peripheral surface of the guide are substantially helically shaped grooves 31, pitched approximately in the direction towards the collecting point 28. The thread guide 30 is mounted on bracket supports 32, 33 with lower ends 34 bent inwards at approximately right angles and adapted to fit, preferably detachably, in bores in the base 4 of the bobbin holder 5. 7

The strand 25 collecting at 28 is passed over the deflecting pin 24 on brake lever 23 and thence runs over a roller 35 on the thread tensioning lever 36 and over a deflecting roller 37 and leaves the bobbin holder over a swivelling roller 39 mounted at the top of an upright arm 38 of the holder 5.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein; For instance, the several bobbins may be mounted on parallel spindles one above the other and have their peripheral edges provided with a friction lining, so that neighboring bobbins are in frictional contact. Moreover, the brake means for arresting the bobbins may be replaced by other means, and the tension of the strand 25 may be maintained by tensioning means of different construction, such as springor weight-loaded slides, or the like.

We claim:

1. In a braiding arrangement, in combination, a plurality of bobbins, adjacent bobbins of said plurality of bobbins being supported to rotate in opposite directions, adjacent bobbins being operatively connected to each other to exert on each other a friction force; and a package of thread on each of said bobbins, the package of adjacent bobbins being wound in opposite directions so that upon withdrawal of the threads of said packages for forming a strand, a frictional torque is exerted on each bobbin by an adjacent bobbin tending to turn each bobbin in an opposite rewinding direction whereby any bobbin is turned in said opposite direction to tension the respective thread when the respective thread slackens during withdrawal thereof.

2. In a braiding arrangement, in combination, a plurality of coaxial bobbins, adjacent bobbins of said plurality of bobbins being supported to rotate in opposite directions about a common axis; friction means located between adjacent bobbins so that adjacent bobbins are operatively connected to each other to exert on each other a friction force through said friction means; and a package of thread on each of said bobbins, the package of adjacent bobbins being wound in opposite directions so that upon withdrawal of the threads of said packages for forming a strand, a frictional torque is exerted on each bobbin by an adjacent bobbin tending to turn each bobbin in an opposite rewinding direction whereby any bobbin is turned in said opposite direction to tension the respective thread when the respective thread slackens during withdrawal thereof.

3. An arrangement as set forth in claim 2 wherein said bobbins have circular lateral faces; and wherein said friction means are friction discs located between said lateral faces and in frictional engagement with the same.

4. In a braiding arrangement, in combination, a plurality of coaxial bobbins, adjacent bobbins of said plurality of bobbins being supported to rotate in opposite directions about a common axis; friction means located between adjacent bobbins so that adjacent bobbins are operatively connected to each other to exert on each other a friction force through said friction means, said bobbins and friction means forming a stack; arresting means including a pair of members respectively arranged at the ends of said stack, at least one of said members being movable towards the other of said members in axial direction of said bobbins to arrest and release said bobbins; and a package of thread on each of said bobbins, the packages of adjacent bobbins being wound in opposite directions so that upon withdrawal of the threads of said packages for forming a strand, a frictional torque is exerted on each bobbin by an adjacent bobbin tending to turn each bobbin in an opposite rewinding direction whereby any bobbin is turned in said opposite direction to tension the respective thread when the respective thread slackens during withdrawal thereof.

5. An arrangement as set forth in claim 4 wherein each of said members includes a brake disc for engaging the lateral face of the respective bobbin adjacent thereto.

6. In a braiding arrangement, in combination, a plurality of bobbins, adjacent bobbins of said plurality of bobbins being supported to rotate in opposite directions, adjacent bobbins being operatively connected to each other to exert on each other a friction force; a package of thread'on each of said bobbins, the packages of adjacent bobbins being wound in opposite directions so that upon withdrawal of the threads of said packages for forming a strand, a frictional torque is exerted on each bobbin by an adjacent bobbin tending to turn each bobbin in an opposite rewinding direction whereby any bobbin is turned in said opposite direction to tension the respective thread when the respective thread slackens during withdrawal thereof; a collecting means for collecting at a collecting point the threads withdrawn from said packages whereby said threads define angles with each other; and a thread guide means including a plu rality of grooves inclined to each other so as to be directed, respectively, toward said collecting point and toward one of said packages, each of said grooves receiving and guiding the thread withdrawn from the respective package.

7. In a braiding arrangement, in combination, a plurality of bobbins, adjacent bobbins of said plurality of bobbins being supported to rotate in opposite directions, adjacent bobbins being operatively connected to each other to exert on each other a friction force; a package of thread on each of said bobbins, the packages of adjacent bobbins being wound in opposite directions so that upon withdrawal of the threads of said packages for forming a strand, a frictional torque is exerted on each bobbin by an adjacent bobbin tending to turn each bobbin in an opposite rewinding direction whereby any bobbin is turned in said opposite direction to tension the respective thread when the respective thread slackens during withdrawal thereof; a collecting means for collecting at a collecting point the threads withdrawn from said packages whereby said threads define angles with each other; and a thread guide means having an at least partly cylindrical surface formed with a plurality of helical grooves inclined to each other so as to be directed, respectively, toward said collecting point and toward one of said packages, each of said grooves receiving and guiding the thread withdrawn from the respective package.

8. An arrangement as set forth in claim 7 including a support rotatably supporting said bobbins for turning movement about a horizontal axis; and a pair of brackets having upper ends secured to said thread guide means and supporting the same, and lower ends having bent end portions detachably attached to said support so that said thread guide means can be removed with said bracket supports.

9. An arrangement as set forth in claim 8 wherein said support has a pair of bores receiving said end portions of said bracket supports.

10. In a braiding arrangement, in combination, a plurality of bobbins, adjacent bobbins of said plurality of bobbins being supported to rotate in opposite directions; a support supporting said bobbins for rotation about a common axis; a friction disc located between each pair of adjacent bobbins and in frictional engagement with the same so that adjacent bobbins are connected to each other to exert on each other a friction torque through said friction discs; a package of thread on each of said bobbins, the packages of adjacent bobbins being wound in opposite directions so that upon withdrawal of the threads of said packages for forming a strand, a frictional torque is exerted on each bobbin by an adjacent bobbin tending to turn each bobbin in an opposite rewinding direction whereby any bobbin is turned in said opposite direction to tension the respective thread when the respective thread slackens during withdrawal thereof; a collecting means for collecting at a collecting point the threads withdrawn from said packages whereby said threads define angles with each other; a thread guide means having a surface formed with a plurality of grooves inclined to each other and receiving and guiding, respectively, threads withdrawn from said packages; and a pair of brake members arranged at the ends of the stack formed by said bobbins and friction discs for compressing said stack, when desired, for arresting all said bobbins.

11. A bobbin holder for braiding machines comprising, a plurality of bobbins from each of which a thread is adapted to be withdrawn for forming a strand with the threads from the other bobbins; means subjecting each bobbin, during the withdrawal of the thread therefrom to a torque which tends to turn the bobbin in the direction of rewinding of the thread and becoming effective upon any slackening in the tension of the thread; and a thread guide located adjacent said bobbins and having a semi-cylindrical body formed with helical grooves respectively adapted to receive a thread from one of said bobbins for guiding each thread withdrawn from each bobbin toward a collecting point.

12. In a braiding arrangement, in combination, a plurality of coaxial axially spaced bobbins supported for rotation in one direction and being rotated in said one direction during withdrawal of threads therefrom for the formation of a braided strand of the threads; and a member located between each pair of adjacent bobbins and in frictional engagement with the same, each of said members continuously rotating in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of said bobbins so that a frictional torque is exerted on each bobbin to turn each bobbin in an opposite rewinding direction whereby any bobbin in turned in said opposite direction to tension the respective thread when the respective thread slackens during withdrawal thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 608,194 Greenwood Aug. 2, 1898 1,568,354 Valley Ian. 5, 1926 2,071,111 Cook Feb. 16, 1937 2,167,930 Krissiep Aug. 1, 1939 2,337,977 Davis Dec. 28, 1943 

